It’s like a story you’ve heard before, but all the names are changed.
In typical William Floyd fashion, the football team dominated on both sides of the ball Saturday afternoon to win yet another home opener. For the second straight year, the Colonials shut down Sachem East, but this time, it was by a 30-0 margin.
Dylan Harris rushed for 105 yards and two scores on eight carries to lead William Floyd in the Division I season starter.
“It felt good. I just wanted to run,” the junior said. “This is a really good team. I wish I did better in the first half, but I picked it up in the second.”
He didn’t have to worry because sophomore kicker and safety Caden Lesiewicz was there to take care of the first 24. He started the game with a fumble recovery in the game’s first minute, and intercepted pass before drilling a 39-yard field goal that put the Colonials out front 9-0 — all in the first quarter. He converted all three extra-point kicks after that.
“This is absolutely crazy. This was so much fun. The ball was just there those two times. I wasn’t expecting this at all,” Lesiewicz said. “This was all about confidence and our defensive line — they really stepped it up today. I didn’t even have to do anything half the game.”
Senior guard and defensive end Deontae Sykes totaled eight tackles, two sacks and a fumble recovery in the end zone for a touchdown that gave William Floyd a 6-0 lead less than five minutes in. Senior tackle Michael Turner had 11 blocks and a sack and senior defensive end Brian Benson added 10 tackles and a sack. Senior running back Quinton Alba-Etheridge returned an interception 39 yards for the game’s final score early in the third quarter.
Lesiewicz said having the guys the Colonials do up front helps the team feel that much more comfortable out on the gridiron.
“I feel very confident having those guys up front,” he said. “We have probably the best defensive line on the Island. They’re insane. It makes the rest of our jobs easy.”
Lesiewicz said it feels great to start the season off with a win like William Floyd did, but Harris already has his sights set on another target — a team the Colonials edged 28-21 in a Division I finale during a shortened and repositioned season last spring.
“This feels good, but I’m waiting for Walt Whitman,” Harris said, smiling. “That’s the one I’m most excited for.”
